My family loves granola bars. It’s a super quick snack, relatively mess-free, and there are so many flavors, there’s always something to please everyone.
A lot of times though, the fancier granola bars (like Cliff – I guess this is actually an energy bar, but it’s the same idea) are more expensive, more than a dollar per bar. Plus, the list of ingredients on some of those bars are so long, it’s hard to tell what you’re actually eating.
So, I decided I would start experimenting with different granola bar recipes and see how they compare to store-bought bars. I tried making granola bars a couple times before I was able to come up with something that my family actually enjoyed. These are not your typical bars as these are soft due to the bananas they contain. They still hold their shape just fine, but they’re not hard like those Nature Valley bars that come in the green box. I guess their texture more closely resembles those Nutrigrain bars with fruit fillings (but these taste nothing like those; I’m not a huge fan of Nutrigrain!).
If you’re not a fan of soft granola bars, stay tuned because I’m working on a recipe for bars that are crunchier, but of course not too hard (which were how my last crunchy granola bars recipe turned out :/ ). Not to worry, I will definitely get another granola bar recipe out soon. In the meantime, make sure you try this one!
- 2 extra ripe bananas
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- ¼ cup agave syrup or brown rice syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups chopped peanuts
- ½ cup raisins
- 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8”x12” baking pan with a layer of parchment paper. Grease the pan as well.
- 2. Mix the bananas, peanut butter, syrup, and coconut oil together until smooth. Fold in the cinnamon, oats, peanuts, and raisins.
- 3. Evenly spread the batter into the baking pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the top has become a golden brown. Once cooled, you can cut the bars and package them. If you like, drizzle the top or coat the bottom with chocolate or a peanut butter glaze (made with warm peanut butter and powdered sugar).
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